Gotta go w/ Rip on the national stage.

1. The Frank Robinson shot that cleared Memorial Stadium. Frank was the key to the O's dominance in the 1960's and that homer was the exclamation point on the sentence.

2. Cal's Homer on 2131 Night. Enough said.

3. Tito Landrum's homer that pushed the surging O's to the series in 1983.

You mean besides Jim Hunter???

I'll have to think on this one a bit.

Huh? You mean home runs....oooohhhhh. My bad.

Shawn Boskie SO grooved that pitch to Cal. Was it magical at the moment? Sure. Did Cal have to actually HIT the grooved pitch? Sure. But it really was a gimme.

The one I remember the most, and it certainly wasn't the most important in Orioles history, but probably the coolest...Orioles down 13-10 to Seattle, bottom of the ninth, two out, 3-2 count...boink...O's win 14-13. Every kid's dream (minus the World Series Game 7 part).

Most important - Have to go with DeCinces.

Can I have a top-ten?

1) Dave McNally's grand slam in game 3 of the 1970 World Series.
2) Brooks and Frank going back-to-back in the first inning of the 1966 World Series, to set the tone against Don Drysdale.
3) Eddie's 500th.
4) Tito Landrum in the 10th inning of game 5 of the 1983 ALCS.
5) Frank's "here" shot off Luis Tiant
6) Cal's homers in 2130 and 2131
7) Frank Robinson's home run in the 4th inning of game 4 of the 1966 World Series to win the game 1-0.
8) Paul Blair's home run in the fifth inning of game 3 of the 1966 World series to win the game 1-0.
9) John Lowenstein's walk-off 3-run home run in the 10th inning of Game 1 of the 1979 ALCS vs. the Angels.
10) Brooks Robinson's 268th and final home run, 10th inning, a 3-run shot against Cleveland to win the game, coming back from a 5-3 deficit.
Honorable mention: Cal's home run in the 2001 All-Star game.

I don't care if Boskie underhand tossed it to him, homeruns are never a gimme. By the way, it's silly when people say stuff like that. Anybody who ever played the game realizes: 1. how difficult it is to hit a homerun 2. i don't care who you are and what record you're about to break, no one just gives up. baseball is too full of egos and competetiveness for someone just to give in.

Dave McNalley's grand slam in the 1970 World Series. I was there, no one could believe it. The wheels came off of Cincinnati's Big Red Machine right then & there. After that moment, Cincinnati simply gave up and refused to play. I can still see it............

I think you have to go with Tito’s homer that vaulted the Orioles into the World Series. (By the way, that nice ceremony — and it gave me goosebumps — before last night’s game ... but Gary Thorne needs to show me Disco “Don” Ford’s statistics before he's allowed to emcee another similar event.)

Another favorite homer is Mike Devereau’s did-it-or-didn't-it-hit-the-foul-pole game-winner against the Angels during the Why Not ’89 season.

You can’t take away the memorable ones hit by DeCinces or Frank Robinson that you mentioned, either. Or when Eddie hit his name on the scoreboard in Philly in Game 5 of the 1983 WS.

These are the best I can think of right now, but I look forward to reading others that I'm sure will have me slapping my forehead to chastise myself for forgetting.

All of the above plus Hoiles gran slam. But for the most inpact I've got to go with DeCinces. It trully rocked the place and all that were listening. It was a season statement that carried the rest of the year.

Sorry SPS, Rico is right. Vi Ripken could have hit Boskie's pitch out that night. Anyone who has played any significant baseball post high school should hit a BP fastball out. Besides, I hate individual achievements in a team sport so Ripken's HR is nice but it shouldn't qualify as "single greatest".

#1. Doug Decinces HR in 1979. It started Oriole's magic. It won the game in walk off fashion and it was the catalyst for a 5 year run in franchise history that was spectacular. If the wild card was in play back then and 1981 wasn't strike shortened, we win 2 or 3 WS rings even including the loss to the Pirates.

#2. Terry "Tito" Landrum in the 1983 ALCS. Extra innings, clutch.

#3. Frank Robby's out of the park shot.

The rain may have suspended the game last night but it was great seeing my childhood hero's. What a night.

On the 2131 homer, if i recall it was a 1-2 count and Boskie got the 1st two strikes on nasty sliders. I just think he left one up and Cal hit it out. I could be wrong though but it seems people like to nitpick Cal.

My favorite homers:
Lowenstiens ALCS winner
Tito's ALCS winner
DeCinces' Oriole Magic Homer
Murray's two in Game 5 1983
Phil Bradley's leadoff homer vs Tor in 89 (even though we lost)
Cal's 2131

Worst homers:
Jeffery Maier 96
Tony Fernandez 97
Marquis Grissom 97
Willie Stargell 79
Robin Yount 82

I think it has to be cal. On the national stage on his night, you couldn't script it better. Landrum has to be a close second.

I have to go with Ricco's #7. Not only did it give the Orioles their first World Championship, it gave me my greatest baseball souvenir. I caught the ball!!!!

Ah another fine topic of conversation - the long ball. I'm a big history fan so personally I think top of my list has to be Frank Robinson's solo shot in game 4 of the 1966 World Series. It turned out to be the game winner and won the O's their 1st world series. Pretty magical if you ask me. But this was 10 years before I was born... I have gotten the chance to listen to the game on the radio and it gives me goose bumps.
So some of the more meaningful in my lifetime… Cal hitting for the cycle. It's the top of the 9th and Cal comes to the plate for his last time in the game after hitting a triple to start, then a double and a single. What does he do? Only smash a solo dinger to become the 2nd Oriole to hit for the cycle. And how about Chris Hoiles hitting his 2nd Grand Slam of the game in 8/14/98. Sure he was not the 1st Oriole to do this but it just one of those feats that I'll always remember seeing. And one that used to mean a lot to me was Brady Anderson's number 50 to become the Oriole single season home run king. Sure you can argue that this one is tainted , and I wouldn't mind seeing this record broken, but at the time it was a monstrous event.
But my vote definitely goes to Frank or Cal's homers... probably in that order.

Rico is the man, just move numbers 5 and 6 down to 8 and 9 and move all up. Playoffs and World Series beats sentiment every time. Excellent top ten. Decinces always a runner up. Certainly not in the top ten of great home runs.

For someone who is too young to have ever seen him play, please clue me in to Frank Robinson's "here" home run.

My top 5 in no particular order of importance:

1.) Sakata's walk-off HR in the bottom of the 10th, after Tippy picked off the side in the top of the 10th.

2.) Tito Landrum's HR in the 10th ito clinch the ALCS.

3.) John Lowenstein's walk-off HR in game 1 of the 1979 ALCS.

4.) Frank Robby's HR that was hit completely out of Memorial Stadium.

5.) Cal's HR the night of 2131.

Honorable mention.....

- Eddie's 500th

- McNally's

Mostly because I was actually there to see it: I go with Doug Decinces home run. I went by myself just to see a game. By the time Doug had hit a couple of long foul balls the whole stadium was buzzing. It was totally unbelievable when he hit the ball out. I shook hands and hugged and high-fived whoever was anywhere near me. It was, for me, the most thrilling and of course "magical" sporting event that I have ever been a part of.

JBaker, check out this article on Frank's "here" home run - the only ball ever hit completely out of Memorial Stadium, off Luis Tiant, May 8, 1966:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp.os5022sep22,0,83994.story

I have to agree with the barkeep. Doug DeCinces.
If my grandfather were here he would likely side with those nominating Frank for his shot in game 4 of the '66 WS; but, he just might have picked Clint Courtney who hit the first homer in Oriole history on opening day in '54.

I was wrong...went back and checked...it was a 3-0 pitch Cal hit for 2131...but the the 1st two balls were tough sliders away that he laid off of...

So he did kind of have to groove a pitch...it was 3-0...but if he wanted to give him a BP fastball...why throw the sliders early in the count.

Just to set the record straight, a couple people have referenced 'Rico's' top 10. The top 10 list above belongs to 'Tominqueenstown'.

Oh, and JBaker - Frank Robinson's "Here" homerun refers to a homer he hit completely out of Memorial Stadium. The spot where it when out was marked by an orange flag that said "HERE".

Boskie's post game comment.

"I gave him a great gift,"Boskie said."I gave him the best gift he could get. It was three balls and no strikes. I felt like I had no outs. I didn't want to walk a guy and get things started that way. At the same time, I felt like he might be swinging, but I felt like, Hey, I've got to take a chance of him popping it up or hitting a grounder. But he didn't, so . . . Cal Ripken Day."

It's so hard to pick but for me it was that DeCinces HR. I mirror Reggie's post - I was there for it too and it was just an unbelievable moment. I would argue slightly though that "Orioles Magic" had already been born and this was the moment that it just hit full stride. The O's had already had some big late inning comebacks that year and had amassed an unexpectedly great record to that point in the season. The DeCinces HR was just an electric moment and then I believe Eddie had a grand slam the next night with the crowd going absolutely wild. Just for sheer crowd thrills I'd have to pick those two.

Thanks Tom. I can vaguely remember seeing that flag in left at memorial stadium but I can't ever remember hearing that story. Man, that guy was great.

Kevin OS.....Why did they use Gary Thorne last night? He blew it with his Disco "Don" Ford call. Perfect time to use either Joe Angel or Mr. Giggles (Tom Davis).

I was nice to see some of the guys you never get to see....Benny Ayala in particular. And every time I see El Presidente I wonder what his career would have been like if he beat alcoholism while in Baltimore and we didn't trade him.

Did I miss something or was it Tominqueenstown who is 'the man' and come up with the top 10? (nice job Tom) Rico & Rob K wrote the ridiculous sentiment that Cal's HR on 2131 was 'easy' (I can never understand the need to be contrarian and 'anti-Cal'). I'll never forget the look on Britt Burns's face after Tito hit that one in '83.

My personal favorite was an 18th inning pinch hit dinger by Boog in the first game of a twi-night double header. I don't remember the date or the opponent.

He didn't start the second game, either.

So many categories to sort through when evaluating this:

- If we're talking about most meaningful moment/biggest game- we have to start w/Post-season dingers:

1. Tito Landrum- '83 ALCS- clincher that got us to Series.
2. Lowenstein- '79 ALCS- in some ways even more special since it was walk-off HR in front of our fans!
3. Robbie Alomar- '96 ALDS- clincher against Indians.
4. Eddie Murray- '83 WS game 5- it was memorable (esp hitting his name on scoreboard), but it still didn't ice game since we already had lead and would win 5-0 going away.

Biggest/most exciting during regular season: (even though some had less at stake)

1. Decinces in '79- dramatic come from behind win- started O's Magic- fueled our magical run that season!
2. Hoiles in '96- Does it get more dramatic than being down by 3, having sacs loaded, 2 outs and full-count?!
3. Devereaux in '89- Standout game during the magical "Why Not" season.
4. Cal's HR during 2131 game- lower on list b/c it wasn't game clincher, and this game wasn't during a winning season. However, the 2131 night has to be up there w/the most memorable, special, magical nights in O's history!
5. Frank Robinson hitting ball out of Memorial Stadium. Since they put the "HERE" flag up, it always beckoned questions, which made it stand out. Only ball to ever be hit out of stadium.
6. Other one has to be Brooks Robinson in his last season- walk off HR- wasn't it on a special "Brooks night" as well?

And speaking of future big HR's, when will someone finally hit the warehouse in a regular season game?! Hard to believe Griffey is still the only one- in HR hitting contest! My prediction is MARK TEIXERA in '09!

Also- Dwayne couldn't have been more right on w/the "Worst" list! Man that was painful!!

I was at the HERE shot double-header so that will always be amongst my favorites, but greatest? No way.

I'll go with Frank Robinson, still, but I will go with the HR in Game One of the 1966 World Series. It gave the Orioles the early lead in a series they would eventually sweep against an opponent who had won two of the previous three fall classics.

Without that HR, the game and the series could have unfolded quite differently.

Most HRs mentioned are quite memorable. Some I saw in person. Some I saw on TV. And one or two I saw through the genius of Chuck Thompson or Jon Miller. But none were greater.

Even Tito's shot, a personal Top Five I saw on a pathetic black and white portable, isn't as great because it was a championship series game and the Orioles were up two games to one anyway. Great? Absolutely. As great? Not quite.

This doesn't qualify as a "greatest" home run as far as impact, but it sure was memorable. The Orioles had called up a journeyman catcher named Dave Criscione in 1977. Just by looking at Criscione, you knew it would only be a short-term thing, and his major league career consisted of seven games and 9 at-bats. One of those at-bats, though, was a walk-off home run in extra innings to beat Milwaukee. I remember reading the story in the paper the next day about how Criscione, while being interviewed, would suddenly let out a shout as if he couldn't believe what he had just done. That one is memorable to me.

As for "greatest," though, I'd have to rate them this way:

1. Frank's Game 4 in 1966
2. DeCinces
3. Frank's out of the stadium shot
4. Tito Landrum
5. Brooks' last home run
6. Frank and Brooks back to back in the 1966 Series
7. John Lowenstein in game 2 of the 1983 world series (that homer turned the tide)
8. Cal on back-to-back nights
9. McNally's Series slam
10. Boog Powell in the first ALCS game ever in the late innings to tie Minnesota

Sad that there aren't many from the last 25 years on that list.

Being born in '81 my favorite homerun is Robbie Alomar's to lead of the 12th in Game 4 at the Jake in 1996. It was my first memory of play-off baseball in Baltimore and that homer clinched the ALDS. And it was just a week after he spit on Hirschbeck, so he had all that going on too.

While not one of the top ten, 1982 Opening Day - the Orioles hit four home runs that day, none bigger than
Eddie Murray's grand slam.
It would not have mattered to the outcome, but that day, before Eddie came to bat, everyone in Memorial Stadium was thinking "Grand Slam" while shouting "Ed-die, Ed-die" and he delivered!

Cal's Homer 2131
Cal's Homer 2130
Cal's Homer Final All-Star Game

Honorable Mention and personal favorite: Cal's Homer off Roger Clemens on Openng Day 1989

oh man please don't bring up '96. 257 HRs in the reg season, 14 in the playoffs but the whole bloated extravaganza ended by a non-HR homerun, the worst blown call in the history of professional sports. the only time I ever thought baseball might be fixed.

You forgot to mention Len Sakata as an '83 teammate that was not there last night. Speaking of Leonard, although probably not the most memorable homer is O's history, he hit a pretty memorable shot in '83 as the Orioles catcher. People seem to forget that in the game Tippy picked off 3 in an inning, the Orioles actually still trailed going to the bottom of the 10th before Sakata hit a game winning three-run homer.

I am guessing people forget that Mike Cuellar did the post season Grand Salami a week earlier against the Twins.

Also left off so far, Frank Robbie's 500th in 71. Maybe because less that 12,000 people saw it! (But I did)

Gary Thorne is a great play by play man, the best we have had in a long long time but I have to wonder where Tom Marr was last night. I heard him earlier in the day on WCBM so he was in town. Why wouldn't the Orioles have one of the actual broadcaster from the 1983 season intoduce the team?

I have to say the most memorable for me was McNallys grand slam in the 1970 world series. As a kid in middle school I had a transistor radio hidden in my desk with an ear piece. When he hit that homer I jumped out of my seat, and was promptly sent to the Principals office!

1 Frank and Brooks 66 world series
1a Paul Blair game 3 I was there!
2Frank out of the park I was there!
3Boog hit one over the scoreboard in center that went farther than Franks but landed inside the fence.I was there!

You guys have hit all the biggies. But off the top of my head here are a few more personal favorites for the memory banks:

-- Freddie Lynn's back-to-back walk-offs against the Twins in '85
-- Tim Hulett's walk-off HR against the Indians in September of '89 ... a HUGE win at the time.
-- Sam Horn's two 3-run HRs on opening day in KC in '90
-- Eddie's GW HR in the 8th against the Rangers on opening day in '85 (an absolute bomb)
-- an finally an obscure one ... does anyone remember Gary Roenicke hitting a grand slam in Yankee Stadium that won a fan $1 million in that home run inning contest on WMAR? I thought Chuck Thompson was going to pass out in the booth. I think the year was '84, and if I recall the O's were losing and the grand slam put them ahead.

1. Tito Landrum in the '83 ALCS: My stomach was in knots for 10 innings.

2. Frank Robinson game 1 1966 World Series: Photo of Drysdale kicking the dirt as Frank begins his homerun trot is priceless. Brooks hit one next. The rest is history.

3. June 17, 1983: Eddie Murray hits a solo homer off Boston's Bob Ojeda leading off the 2nd inning. The Os lost 5-3, but it was my first game at Memorial Stadium and Eddie hit his homerun right on que.

Hon. mention: Boog Powell's inside the park homerun where his shoe flew off as he was rounding third. (verification needed, but I've heard stories).

I'll say it like this: the greatest Orioles home run that I personally witnessed was the "2131 Home Run." I cried all evening. I'm kinda tearing up right now as I think about it. Cal was the identity of the franchise and it was just so fitting, grooved pitch or not. Plus, we all knew that at that time, Cal had created more Orioles Magic before than night than he'd create after it.

I have to say that home run because I'm just 31, so I wasn't even born in 66 or 54. I was only 2 in 1979, and in 1983, I was just 6, so I don't remember all the important home runs from those times. Therefore, I don't want to speculate.

I was, however, alive and well for the "Why Not" season (my favorite Orioles season of all) and the Devereaux home run is still one of the most exciting to me as well.

Also, I do want to thank all of you who are talking about all of these great events that took place "before my time." And Dan, thanks to you and the readers bringing up these discussion topics. Most times that I read your blog, I get to feel a deep sense of pride in being a Baltimore sports fan.

I know it might be sacrilege to some, but I'm beginning to think that if John Steadman had written in the Internet age, this is what his blog would be like.

This obviously isn't the most significant home run, but it's definitely worth focusing on Chris Hoiles May 17, 1996 bottom of the ninth grand slam. It may be the only two out, full count walk-off grand slam to win a game by one run (the ultimate possible hit) in baseball history. I was listening to a scratchy faraway radio broadcast, and for some reason didn't turn it off late at night when the O's were down 13-10, having blown a big early lead. I'll never forget hearing the call of the grand slam, which just made it out of the park.

All of the HRs mentioned are great. I'll go with DeCinces' blast in 1979. I still replay it now and then on my Chuck Thompson Bobblehead. Another DeCinces blast which is a favorite memory of mine is one he hit in Yankee Stadium well over the 451ft. sign in left center. That was a shot! I watched on TV, not sure of the year, but I bet he remembers.

Perhaps a stats geek can answer this: What was the paid attendance the night FRob hit one out of Memorial Stadium? Now, how many people alive today claim to have been there that night? I'll bet more claim to have been there than there were seats at 33rd Street.

Funny, I was at Game 3 of the 1970 WS (no, really -- I was 11 yrs. old) and Brooks' play at 3rd got much more attention than McNally's slam at the time .

maybe not the greatest in history, but am i correct in recalling a Phil Bradley pinch-hit, inside the park, grand-slam?

A big home run that might have been remembered had the O's won game 5 was Andy Etchebarren's 3-run shot off Vida Blue in game 4 1973 playoffs. O's were down 4-0 in 7th inning when Brooks rolled a single up the middle to make it 4-1 then Andy connected. Next inning Grich hits a homer off Fingers and O's win 5-4. Improbable comeback against 2 real good pitchers. It would have gone down as a biggie IF they'd won game 5 and made it to the WS. I know I was pumped at the time. Big homer - - saved O's from elimination - nobody remembersremembers

Here's a different Cal dong:

Opening day, 1989. Off Clemens for the win. Set the stage for my favorite season. Why not?

TOMC13 -- You are the MAN -- I was there for Criscione's home run, too and thought, as I was scrolling down the comments, that I would be the only one to list that one. Great call. Let me add one more -- Labor Double header, 1974 vs. the Bosox. Birds win a pair 1-0 and 1-0. Grich hit a HR off a Luis Tiant "hesitation" pitch (where Grich started to swing, pulled back and still homered) for one of the wins -- another "I was there" moment right up there with Criscione. Great input from all the writers today -- some great memories.

I'm also in the younger set (31), so remember nothing pre 83. I do remember the $1 million home run, and will never forget Devereaux. Was there for Cal's opening day dinger in 89 -- that tied the game at 4 -- we actually won it on a Craig Worthington hit in extras.